Questions about the Word, the Church and the Ordinances
136. Q. Who should partake of the Lord’s Supper?
A. The Lord’s Supper is for those only who repent of their sins, believe in Christ for salvation, receive baptism, and love their fellow men.
(Click through to read scriptural proofs.)
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“You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire. So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.”
- 1 Corinthians 10:16-17
The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ?The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread.
- 1 Corinthians 11:18, 20, 27-33
For, in the first place, when you come together as a church, I hear that there are divisions among you.
When you come together, it is not the Lord’s supper that you eat.
Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord. Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself. That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died. But if we judged ourselves truly, we would not be judged. But when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined so that we may not be condemned along with the world.
So then, my brothers, when you come together to eat, wait for one another—
- 1 John 3:14-17
We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death. Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.
By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him?
- 1 John 4:9-11
In this the love of God was made manifest among us, thatGod sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
Taken from A Catechism for Girls and Boys found here.